would do the same. As Ransom lifted the ring to put it there, the duchess whispered a word he didn’t understand. The ring slid on effortlessly. As soon as it was on his finger, it vanished, although he still felt its presence.
The duchess smiled and lifted the veil. He saw a tear streak down her face. “Thank you, Sir Ransom. You are a good man. And now that you are Brythonica’s protector, I give you the right to command her knights. I’ve been preparing ships all night long to send aid to King Devon. The tide is going out soon. Go with them, and defend our king!”
His heart surged with hope. This was why the Fountain magic had not come to him before they reached the borders of Brythonica. He was meant to be here, in this place. There was still a chance they could win the war and stand strong against Occitania.
A chance was all they needed.
“My lady, I’m not as familiar with the coasts. Where were you planning to send them?”
“Averanche is under Benedict’s control. I was going to send them due east to Glosstyr. What do you think of that?”
Ransom smiled. “My lady . . . I am to be the new duke of Glosstyr.”
“Is that so? I rarely know all the reasons behind the whispers that come to me, but I know the Fountain is with us. It is with you, Sir Ransom.” She squeezed his hand and gave him a warm smile. “We depend on you.”
Sleep had eluded Ransom for days. But in the stateroom on board the Brythonican ship, he was finally able to rest. The weariness and exhaustion of his captivity was washed away by cleansing sleep. The room was dark, and the swaying of the ship didn’t trouble his stomach as it had in the past. In fact, he felt more comfortable, more at peace, in the sea’s embrace.
His slumber was disturbed by one of Terencourt’s knights.
“My lord. We’re nearing Glosstyr.”
Ransom sat up on the cramped bed. The refreshment he felt was enormous. He looked at the knight standing in the doorway, recognizing him as the young one who had knelt by Terencourt in his last moments.
“What’s your name, lad?” Ransom asked.
“My name is Guivret,” said the young man. He looked down. “I was Sir Terencourt’s squire.”
Ransom swung his legs over the bedside. “I don’t have a squire. Would you be willing to serve me? I have a small mesnie.”
The young man’s face brightened. “I would welcome the opportunity, my lord. Truly. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Ransom rose and stretched. “How about some food? What time of day is it? I can’t tell since there isn’t much light in here.”
“The sun is waning. We’ll be at Glosstyr before nightfall.”
“Good. Fetch me paper and ink as well. I need to write my lady a letter and tell her what’s happened.”
“Gladly, Sir Ransom! Thank you! I cannot thank you enough!”
Ransom watched him depart with haste and exuberance. He rubbed his thumb across the ring on his finger, feeling the little circles engraved in the band. What was the significance? He’d heard stories about the Ring Table and King Andrew, tales of the Fountain-blessed, but he’d paid little attention to them at the time. He wished he knew more. Alix had said she had many books with the old stories. Did she know about the Gradalis, or had he perhaps learned something she had not?
His thoughts shifted to Claire and the letter he was to write. He’d always imagined visiting Glosstyr with her first. Rather than wait in his chamber for Guivret to return, he strapped on his sword and bounded up the stairs until he was abovedeck. There were twelve ships in all, each full of knights and soldiers hastening to defend the king. He grabbed a rope to steady himself as the deck pitched. The fortress of Glosstyr lay before him, the town set within the bay. It rivaled Ploemeur in size and grandeur, but the city and bay were not as large, and there were fewer ships at port.
Waves crashed against the rocks beneath the massive castle built into the coast south of town. The sight of it gave him a thrill of wonder.
It would be his if they won this war.
It would be theirs.
A letter arrived today that brought such joy and relief. Ransom escaped from the murderous villains who had abducted him, thanks be to the Duchess of Brythonica. He wrote to me from one of her